I gather you play a bit of pianoforte..?
Break
out the Absinthe, The Hat is ready to Party! What do you mean it's
all gone? I Don't Believe It! In that case, bring bowls of Ice Cream
covered with Hundreds and Thousands, several large cases of Newcastle
Brown, a carrier bag full of bottles of grapes, a ton of those
fabulous scones your mother used to make, a large box of Ship Kitchen
Matches (excellent maracas substitute), the biggest
speaker stack you can drag through the door, the dancin' shoes and
your widest Festival Smile. This is gonna be a Proper Party...
History
will tell us that The Hat never needed an excuse to have a party and
there are a few survivors scattered around out there who will, once
suitably fuelled, testify to that. They would have been memorable
occasions if one could remember them. However, this time we will have
Total Recall as we have something serious to celebrate – The Hebden
Bridge Blues Festival HQ have announced their headliners for
2013.....
Question:
What do you do when you have just won a prestigious award? (No, you
don't clutch your Oscar and blub about how your mother and father
sold their house to buy your frock) Answer: You come back
next year and Do It Again. When the Hat chatted to the organisers of
the award-winning Hebden Blues Festival a few blogs back, they
declined to let him scoop some news on the Headliners for next year
despite generous helpings of St. Peters Brewery Porter. Now they have
shown their spiffing hand and it is overflowing with Aces, a
spectacular Royal Flush, a Full House. Trust me, the 2013 Festival is
going to be the Must Have, the Essential diary entry, a Triple Tick
in your festival log book, a Decide Now who-I-am-going-with Moment, a
sell-the-family-silver-and-the-kids-favourite-toys Decision. Oh dear,
I fear for those up-coming kitchen table discussions, I've had a few
– and don't call in The Hat to arbitrate...he is biased....
Headliners for Friday have set the bar right up there as high as the
eye can see. On the Friday evening, the fantastic Ron Sayer Jr
and Ainsley Lister will be taking the stage, a double helping
of the best blues in the UK right now. Ron – who, by the way,
happens to have a degree in classical music and once played bass for
Oli Brown - is now one of the UK blues world's worst kept secrets. A
hugely talented bluesman, who has played alongside any name you can
think of, Ron is also in steady demand as a song-writer. Spread the
word and clamour for a ticket. Ainsley Lister is one of those
outrageous talents who refuses to be labelled and who gets confused
reviewers muttering about Eric with a modern touch and yet just in
the last year or so he has toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd, headlined the
Bourbon stage at Glastonbury and had his album 'Tower Sessions' voted
Best Live Album. Always in demand, Ainsley's appearance is a great
coup for the Festival, so get out your pointy elbows for this one....
If you survive Paddy's Friday Midnite Jam, then Saturday night has more overwhelming treats. The great Jon Amor Blues Group, whose brilliance and style did much to put the First Hebden Blues Festival on the map is back by popular demand. Always a tremendous live act, Jon has been a blues favourite since he first hit the headlines with
The Hoax many years ago. Currently about to release a new album and
dash off on a UK and European Tour, Jon is a must see.
described as 'amazing',
'authentic', 'authoritative' and 'original' will top Saturday night for us. Well, yes, to all of those, but anyone who has listened to her recently released CD will know that they will be in the presence of a serious blues artist with great stage presence who brings a whole bunch of cool to her performance. This singer is clearly a major talent, now taking Europe by storm and it is a smart move for Hebden to be able to offer her a prime spot for what will be a terrific night.
Now,
The Hat knows from previous years, that the Hebden Family have the
most amazing staying powers so you will of course all be there in the
front row on Sunday evening when Kyla Brox walks out under the
spotlight. This self-assured Lancashire 'soulstress', who comes from
a musical family, has been wowing audiences across the continents for
many years. From Colne to Australia to the US and six phenomenal
albums later, Kyla will bring some spellbinding magic to the Hebden
stage. This will be electric, warm, exciting and unmissable. Be
There.
Finally,
if you like punching the air, flashing your 'I was There' wristband
and behaving badly then the Paddy Milner, Marcus Bonfanti set
is already in your diary. Unashamed Groupie, The Hat first saw Paddy
M decades ago, when he wore pullovers, couldn't grow a beard and his
mum drove him to gigs. He was the real deal then and now everyone
knows that. His live partnership with the spectacular Marcus has
blossomed over the last few years into one of the most exciting on
the blues circuit. They played the first Hebden Blues Festival. They
played the second Hebden Blues Festival. They are part of our DNA and
everyone who has ever seen them at Hebden or elsewhere knows that
they simply have to be there. Make sure you are.
Don't
forget that this is just the Headline acts. I expect you are already
Totally Agog. There are nearly three dozen more to come. I can only
suggest that you start getting in some training for 2013. See you
there....
Pip Pip!
The Man in The Hat